Another Day,

For The Year Ahead

2012-01-05T07:43:00.000-08:00

I came across the video "I'm Trying To Be Like Jesus" by David Archuleta. At first I was reluctant to listen, it's a children's song; I know it well; it's simple; I questioned what would he do to change it and I did not want the song altered for a grand stand performance. I clicked play (if you haven't already, go ahead). It is a beautiful song. It is simple yet profound in application of meaning.

I have been thinking about the new year and what I would like to accomplish. I thought about working on being a better mother, spouse, friend, etc. What it all comes down to for the new year is that I want to be more like Jesus. I am not talking about becoming a fanatic about my religion but to apply these simple principles, found in the lyrics to this song, to my daily living:

"I'm Trying To Be Like Jesus"
1. I’m trying to be like Jesus;
I’m following in his ways.
I’m trying to love as he did, in all that I do and say.
At times I am tempted to make a wrong choice,
But I try to listen as the still small voice whispers,

(Chorus)

2. I’m trying to love my neighbor;
I’m learning to serve my friends.
I watch for the day of gladness when Jesus will come again.
I try to remember the lessons he taught.
Then the Holy Spirit enters into my thoughts, saying:

Chorus
“Love one another as Jesus loves you.
Try to show kindness in all that you do.
Be gentle and loving in deed and in thought,
For these are the things Jesus taught.”

(Words and music: Janice Kapp Perry, b. 1938)

For this year I will try to be more like Jesus and continue to learn to better serve my family, friends, neighbors and the Lord. This does not mean I beat myself up for falling short or demand more from others in spite of myself, but to love one another as Jesus loves me.

This past Monday we had a family home evening lesson about "What would Jesus do?". This week, when my daughters have come to me with a problem with getting along with each other or others I have talked with them and explored the question, "What would Jesus do?". As a result, I have responded to the situations more gently and with more kindness and the girls have been better able to resolve quarrels. What a great start to the new year!

Random Thoughts, Theories, and Realizations

2011-11-27T06:36:00.001-08:00

Over the past four decades I have learned a few things and I have come to realize a few things that have brought some necessary clarity into my life. I also have quite a few theories that I am continuing to test for accuracy. It's time I wrote a few of these things down before I forget and have to relearn this stuff all over again!

* Just like you do not have to buy everything you lay eyes on in the store, you do not have to own every thought you have.

* If you think you are self-actualized than you have not had any major challenges to overcome lately.

* Carrying, birthing and raising children brings out the best and the worst in us.

* When you get a gift, send a thank you note. If more time has passed than you would have liked, send it anyway.

* Be slow to judge others and give people the benefit of the doubt. Everyone deals with stress and life's difficulties differently and you never know if someone is currently suffering or has yet to overcome a serious pain or loss.

* Pray.

* Yelling to get your point across is disrespectful to others and to yourself. Furthermore, once you start it becomes a difficult habit to break.

* Best housekeeping tip ever: 10 minute room rescues (cleaning up a room) twice a day and one 10 minute house rescue in the evening (total 30 minutes of cleanup). Don't forget to get everyone who is home involved in the rescue.

This Week in Nature Behind My Lens

2011-09-09T10:18:00.000-07:00

(Click photos to enlarge)
In my butterfly garden:

"Butterfly emerges from cocoon"

In St. Augustine, Fl:

"Good Morning Rainbow:"

" Welcome to the beach"

Punishment vs. Discipline

2011-08-08T09:59:00.000-07:00

Lately I have been increasingly unhappy with my methods of teaching my children, especially when it comes to discipline and setting a good example while disciplining. My response to (what I determine to be) inappropriate behavior is often emotionally charged and, more frequently than not, rather ineffective.

A friend recently posted a parenting article on Facebook entitled "Punishment -or Discipline". After reading it I felt inspired to make some immediate changes. I found an article from the FHE resource book entitled "A House of Order" which helped me get started.

For Family Home Evening we discussed our own family goals, rules to help us accomplish those goals, and some consequences for poor choices. Here is an example of one of our family goals:

Family Goals

Family Rules

Consequences

We want to be a loving, happy and grateful family.

*Express our love for each other.

*Eat meals together.

*Have Fun.

*Express gratitude.

*Serve one another.

*No name calling or teasing.

Time Out (by age) followed by hug and "Sorry."

For easy reference, I made a separate sheet with some identified bad choice behaviors and the consequences for such actions. Here are a few examples:

Behavior	Consequence
Name calling or teasing.	Time Out (by age) followed by hug and "Sorry."
Unhealthy snacks without permission	No treats
Not sharing	Toy/thing taken away.
Not Saying "I'm sorry" when appropriate.	Time out and "Sorry"/loss of privileges: 1. Computer 2. TV 3. Movie 4. Early to bed 15min 5. Early to bed 30 min

Each of the girls has a calender with their name on it for easy tracking of privilege losses.

We already have a working system for rewards which includes use of tickets they can exchange for special rewards (going to the park, the museum, watching a TV program, staying up late, etc.,):

I made a poster board for displaying and to use as a reference.

I included some family pictures and pictures of temples to go with our goal:

We want to enjoy the blessings of the temple and be together as a family in eternity.

*Pray together.

*Hold Family Home Evening weekly.

*Daily scripture study.

*Frequent trips to the temple (bi-monthly).

The girls are responding great already and it has been less than 24hrs. I too am feeling a better sense of control over teaching and disciplining because the goals, rules and consequences are already established and agreed upon. I know this is not a fix-all, but I feel that we are definitely on the right track!

Update: Ten Things I Would Like To Do

2011-06-24T05:15:00.000-07:00

In February 2010 I blogged about Ten Things I Would Like To Do. I included a list of dreams, goals, or aspirations (realistic or not) that I would like to do someday. Here is an update on a few of those wish list items:

* Take a photography class or lessons:
I really enjoy taking pictures. We have a pretty nice camera:

Nikon D300

Having a nice camera has inspired me to seek out picture taking opportunities. I have barely begun to learn how to take good/or professional looking pictures but I aspire to one day take some classes or just be a self taught amazing picture taker.

Most of the pictures I take are of my family and friends. I love capturing moments in our lives that I can look back and remember more clearly and also see things in retrospect that I did not notice or appreciate at the time. The down side for me is that people, especially my children, can be hard to photograph. Mostly because the thing they are doing when I reach for the camera is rarely occurring by the time the shutter opens. Furthermore, trying to create a photo moment is almost always more enjoyable as an idea in my head rather than the actual process involved in staging the photo shoot.

On our recent vacation I took 600 pictures! Again, most were of family and friends, but I did take a few others that made me want to take more pictures of the beautiful world around me:

St Louis Zoo:

Although I took some great shots of my family and friends, (which can be viewed here: myjoy), I had to include this one here too because I just love this picture!

Old Stone Fort State Park in Tennessee
A bit of a waterfall heaven:

*Learn another language fluently (perhaps sign language):
My daughter, Elizabeth, has recently shown an interest in learning Spanish. I checked into a local program that offers language learning experiences for children. After discussing the cost associated with the program with my husband we did not rule out the idea, but I started considering other options. I thought about the resources that are available right now at no additional cost. Then I remembered how fun it was and how much we learned from getting books and videos from the library and from television on sign language. I am by no means fluent in sign language but I have about a 300+ vocabulary in sign. Why not apply the same resources to learning Spanish (I have always wanted to learn Spanish myself) and also teach my daughters in the process? Brilliant!
So today we went to the library and came out with these:

* Conquer my fear of math:
I had not planned on writing about this particular wish list item until I reread the blog entry entitled "Ten Things I Would Like To Do." I looked over the wish list items and thought the list looked a little long, and sure enough there were 11 items on the Top Ten List, the last being, ironically, "Conquer my fear of math." Although at least visually I had a mathematical hunch, I am not sure if this can be construed as actual progress towards my goal.

Blog Journaling

2011-05-04T15:56:00.000-07:00

For the past week I have been feeling quite a bit introspective. I naturally cycle through an introspective period about once every six months. If I don't talk about it or, better yet, write about my thoughts and feelings, I am left feeling anxious and unsettled for weeks. So, why not keep a journal?

I have just never been able to do it. I had never been able to commit to writing every day, or every week, or with any consistency. Furthermore, I do not like hand-writing anymore. My penmanship has seriously gone astray and my thoughts become too scattered when I do not have the luxury of the delete key. I tried keeping a journal on my computer for a period, but I got bored with it, or something, and let it go. Then my blog was born. Whew, I have finally found a way to express myself without the commitment of a journal. What's the difference?

I really don't know, but I am grateful to be writing, to be expressing my feelings openly (pretty much). Yes, I edit my posts, not always expressing my every thought or feeling, but I always edited any journaling I have done. I know that journaling, or in my case blog-journaling, can be beneficial. Reflecting on where I am , where I have been, and where I want to go in my life is, in my opinion, necessary for healthy living. At some point, I will be printing it out at for long-term keeping and posterity.

So, my most recent ponderings have been focused on consistencies and inconsistencies in my life. For quite some time I have been consistently sick. In the grand scheme of things, nothing too serious, but I cannot remember, over the past year or so, a period of more than a few weeks where I was not in some state of not well. I enjoy exercising and playing sports (soccer) but I have had to take so much time off for healing that I am longing to get back into shape and rebuild my strength, endurance and overall fitness level. Not sure what I can do to change this pattern of illnesses, but I am back playing soccer and going to the gym, despite the fact that I am still getting over a cold and I injured my leg a little.

As for inconsistency in my life, I have been preparing for several of my friends in the area to be moving away. I live in a very transient city and many of my friends are here for higher educational purposes and will be moving on upon completion of their (or their spouses) studies. I will likely continue to maintain our friendships through facebook and blogging, but it's sure not the same as having them here face to face. I am truly grateful for all my friends both near and far, but having a close friend nearby, who is not planning to move anytime soon, would be a welcomed consistency in my life.

Finally, I have mentioned several times in my blogging that I want to live more happily; to laugh more; and to generally have more fun. I will continue to seek after these things, but I realized recently that my idea of a happy life was pretty much unattainable. My "all or nothing" pattern of thinking had me seeking after a fun fest rather than a normal healthy state of living with it's ups and downs. So my new outlook is to acknowledge the bad or difficulties in my life, but to focus on that which is worth focusing on, or that which will allow me to feel happy, to laugh, and to have fun.

Uplifted & Inspired

2011-04-03T16:35:00.000-07:00

General Conference never fails to uplift and inspire me. I feel strengthened and renewed. Although it is not easy to focus my full attention with small children, it is amazing how much I get out of it! I am quite sure I was not able to listen to one entire talk without being distracted. However, I received so much direction and support I am not sure I could have taken in any more this weekend anyway.

One message I am most excited to apply to my life from this conference is to express, demonstrate, and seek after ways to feel more contentment in my life. Simply put, to live more happily. I can do this. I actually need to do this. I am excited to see how being more positive will impact not only me, but my own family as well as others I come in contact with.

During this conference weekend, we continued our "tradition" of sharing a Saturday session with an amazing family, the Lowery's. Spending time with them is always a treat! We are so grateful for their friendship. This time they had us over for a fabulous brunch. We look forward to as many more conferences together as possible.

During the Sunday sessions I kept the girls busy with lot's of fun activities (and these activities too). And we all did some pampering for each other (combing hair & lotion hand/foot massages). I am grateful for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, for the Prophet, Thomas S. Monson, and those that serve with him. I am especially grateful for the rich blessings of the Gospel and for our Savior, Jesus Christ!

Spring Fever

2011-03-09T10:43:00.000-08:00

I grew up in upstate NY and Spring seemed to start later every year and it was so short of a season you were likely to miss it if you weren't paying close attention. And the winters, forget about it, they seemed to go on forever. In contrast, I now live in the south. Although not officially until March 20th, it is spring here and it is beautiful! This year I am extra excited about spring because we have been very busy preparing for it's arrival:

We planted a butterfly garden

We also planted herbs: Italian parsley, fennel, rosemary, basil and thyme:

A Vegetable Garden with tomatoes, lettuce, peppers, cucumbers, and a pumpkin (on a whim after making a pumpkin pie):

I even tried starting new planters from my existing inpatients (my Valentine's Day present from my amazing husband)

We are also enjoying the beautiful azaleas already established:

Even the flowering weeds caught our attention today:

Ah, Happy Spring!

Whirlwind

2011-03-05T12:28:00.000-08:00

This week has been a whirlwind of emotional, physical, and even spiritual challenges. On Sunday we were still secretly celebrating our recent discovery that we were pregnant. I had an appointment set for Friday where I would have been only 6 weeks pregnant. Monday morning I was bleeding. Wed. I was being prepped for surgery for an ectopic pregnancy (an abnormal pregnancy that occurs outside the uterus. The fetus cannot survive in this type of pregnancy).

Although my prayers were not resulting in specific answers or direction, I do know that my prayers were being heard and He was, and still is, caring for my needs. Despite the emotional and physical pain and turmoil, I continuously have felt that all things will work out for good. I do believe that, despite my feelings of loss and physical discomfort.

I know that I can trust in Heavenly Father and in our Savior Jesus Christ. I am grateful for loving and supportive family and friends whom He has provided. My favorite scripture is certainly applicable here as well:

"And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall." Helaman 5:12

Surviving Valentine's Day And Life Lessons Learned

2011-02-16T09:38:00.000-08:00

Each year I can anticipate the craziness at the end of the year during the holiday and celebration extravaganzas of Thanksgiving, birthdays, Christmas, and New Years. However, I am still bewildered and bedraggled from the planning, preparation, and execution of this most recent holiday - Valentine's Day!

As long as I can remember, Valentine's Day has been soiled by my own fairy tale expectations and unbecoming ideas of self-importance. Even after finding and marrying my "knight in shining armor", despite being spoiled silly by him, I still carry around a clutch bag of disdain for the holiday. Now that I have two sweet young daughters to nurture and teach. I have embraced the holiday with them, trying to make some fun memories, and trying to capture the spirit of the holiday (I am not going to get into why I think this holiday was really created $$) by expressing our love and appreciation for others.

So I began my preparations: pictures - before, during, and after; handmade cards (5); handmade valentine's (lost count) for my daughter's teachers and classmates both at school and at church; decorated cut-out sugar cookies; gifts for spouse and children; delivery of all such items; and attendance at Valentines Day party at Joy school. It was so life consuming for a week and a half that I am sure I am missing things on this list! Also, I will not get into the out of the blue screaming fit of the century that my youngest daughter decided to have in the middle of the party that was so bad we were all preparing to take her to the doctor when, after about 30 minutes or so, she decided she had had enough and wanted to join in on all the fun again.

All that being said, I really am beginning to enjoy losing my own sense of self-centeredness in the service of others. I enjoy the creative art of taking pictures and I enjoy sharing them with family and friends. I enjoy making greeting cards for others. It allows me to express myself more fully and I believe it brings a bit of pleasure to the recipient (and sometimes just a little bit helps). I enjoy baking and I am excited to expose my daughters to the unlimited creations possible from the kitchen. I enjoy sharing all these creations with others and teaching my daughters to enjoy giving as well.

I realize that I do not have to get caught up in the worldliness aspects of the holidays, but the holidays can provide obvious opportunities to reach out to and serve others. The Savior teaches us to follow Him by making the sacrifices necessary to lose ourselves in unselfish service to others. Gordon B. Hinckley stated that, "If we want joy in our hearts, if we want the Spirit of the Lord in our lives, let us forget ourselves and reach out." I am grateful for these opportunities I am having right now to learn, to stretch, and to grow.

Using The TV As A Babysitter

2011-01-31T09:56:00.000-08:00

Yeah, I know we all know that using the TV as a babysitter is BAD! But I did it anyway. I knew what I was doing was not the best solution to accommodate my needs, but it sure was easy and convenient.

My needs: To Have Some Time To Myself; To get Something Done; To Give The Kids What They Wanted and Seemingly Enjoyed; To Minimize Whining and Complaining From Said Kids (there may be a few more "needs" but this is enough to speak of).

Our family has a good early morning routine (starting at 6:30 a.m.) of family prayer, scripture study, followed by a grand send off for daddy to go to work. Then the day is on it's way, but I am usually still not quite ready to clock in for the day. To try to extend my actual start time, it started off innocent enough. After serving up a nutritious breakfast, I simply popped in a movie for the children, and proceeded to check e-mail, facebook, blogs, news, etc,. It was a nice way take a little extra time to wake up and gear up for the day.

Well, then the busy holiday season approached and there was a lot more things I needed/wanted (the distinction between these two are often a muddled mess) to get done. So one movie turned into two movies. Then the girls were watching separate movies in two different rooms to accommodate their different interests. It soon got completely out of hand and out of my control.
That's right the kids now were controlling me with their endless quest to watch more movies. I was popping movies in and out on demand as their attention spans actually shortened! They barely got into a movie before wanting to watch something else.

Again, I knew this was not the best choice from the beginning, but now I really knew I had to take the risk of my needs not being met and making my life even more difficult by denying my kids what they thought they wanted and therefore subjecting myself to endless whining and complaining. It seemed like it was going to be a really difficult challenge. But I did it anyway!

I made a chart (mostly for my 4 yr old) to keep track of TV/Movie time. The plan was 1 movie and 1 TV show per day Mon-Fri. (We rarely watch TV on Saturdays and Sunday the TV is refreshingly dark and silent). This still seemed like a lot of TV time but it was, in my mind, a start to a difficult challenge ahead. They get to take turns choosing the movie and one day a week they had to agree on a movie. They both like Wonder Pets at 6pm so the TV show was easy and it is only 20 minutes long.

Last Monday morning I presented the plan to my two daughters. The reception was oddly well received. I chalked it up to "They were too young to understand/realize what limitations I was setting". Also, my four year old loves charts and stickers and goals. I figured that the novelty would fade along with the darkening of the TV screen. Not so! It was an instant success. I still let them watch the movie after breakfast at 7 am. So from 7 to 8 am they watched their show and I get that time to myself. And yes, I am choosing to continue to use the TV as a babysitter for that one hour.

But it's really amazing how well this is working and how easy the transition went. They rarely ask for TV outside of the time allowed. There is no whining or complaining about not getting more. They are playing more on their own and with each other. The time I spend with them is more productive and fun. And I am still able to get "things done". So this is week two now. I am going to continue with the same plan. I am looking forward to seeing how our lives literally improve.

Most of all I am grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who continued to prompt me to turn the TV off despite my lack of willpower and faith. He continued to assure me that I could do it and that things would be better as a result. All true of course!

Coupons, Coupons, Coupons!

2011-01-12T16:11:00.000-08:00

I have really enjoyed getting into using coupons. I am a bit casual with it at this point, but I do enjoy the feeling I get when I save our family money at the grocery store. I have added some links that I use to the sidebar of this blog for free printable coupons. Please help me add to the list. If you know of other great sites please share them in the comments. Perhaps we can all save more money!

Tender Sweet Expression of Love

2010-11-18T16:37:00.000-08:00

After a few days of increasing pain I finally called the doctor and was diagnosed with "Dry socket."

Definition by Mayo Clinic: Dry socket (alveolar osteitis) is a painful dental condition that can occur after extraction of a permanent adult tooth.

Elizabeth was very aware that mommy was not feeling well today and when we were getting ready for bed she said "I am going to say a prayer for you and then sing you a song. Would that make you smile?" I, of course, said yes and she proceeded to offer up a prayer and then she sang the first verse of "I am a Child of God." My heart sang with joy along with her. Thank you Elizabeth - I Love You Too!

Options 1, 2, and 3

2010-11-12T04:43:00.000-08:00

Post Oral Surgery
When we arrived at the doctors office at 7:45 Monday morning the receptionist's facial expression demonstrated a lack of enthusiasm for our presence as my two young children, already hyped up on Frootloops, and my ever-ready to entertain husband entered the small waiting area for the approximate 2 hour wait.

After an anxious 10 minutes or so I was ushered into the office and handed a long list of possible complications and asked to initial each indicating that I was properly informed - standard procedure. I laughed out loud as I read over the possibilities. The nurse looked at me several times obviously assessing what mind altering drug I might have consumed prior to our visit. I assured her that I was a bit nervous and that this list could be a serious problem for someone who was overly sensitive to stressful situations - not me of course.

Off to surgery. Although I chose to be sedated for the surgery they gave me laughing gas along with some anesthesia prior to the actual sedation. I am still unclear as to why I needed all three. As the gas started taking effect I asked the nurse if they get people saying pretty funny things from the gas. She replied that she really does not know why they call it "laughing gas" because only people who are really silly to begin with get silly. She said it really just relaxes you. Well I immediately started feeling like the life of the party. I wanted to crack jokes and I wanted to entertain. I tried to refrain but I did let loose with what I thought to be witty comments to the nurses as well as the doctor. The doctor sorta snickered and then left the room.

There was a brief period when the nurses were administering all the medications that I began to feel nauseous and like I was going to faint. I informed the nurses and they said that it was from the oxygen mask - that I was probably getting a little claustrophobic. They lifted the mask off my face a bit. I informed the nurse that I was quite sure I was not feeling claustrophobic. We went back and forth a few times on the subject until the feeling subsided. Shortly thereafter I was lights out.

As I was coming out of the sedation after the surgery I was aware of the nurses and I was feeling a sense of love and that I wanted tell everyone that I loved them - I was aware of the reality of things and I refrained from telling the nurses and the doctor that I loved them. But I remember thanking everyone several times - I felt very thankful indeed - but I realized I was being repetitive. I asked the nurse to thank the doctor for me and she said - "Oh, you did - you thanked him." I suspect I was repetitive with him as well :- )

Overall, the experience in the doctors office went well. However, recovery is not fun. On several occasions throughout the week I have questioned why I voluntarily did this but quickly reminded myself that problems were eminent with those pesky wisdom teeth and waiting would likely not have a good result in the long run.

I am so very grateful for my fabulous husband who took off two days from work so that I could virtually sleep through Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday was a blur. But, what luck, Thursday was a holiday and I again got to sleep as much as I wanted. He is taking great care of me and is an awesome father too!

Oral Surgery

2010-11-04T04:46:00.000-07:00

I had a consultation with an oral surgeon yesterday. I am now scheduled to have all four wisdom teeth extracted on Monday - two of which are only partially above the gum-line and are also partially covered by bone. I was given three options and/or a combination of the options: option 1 -Local Anesthesia, option 2 -Nitrous Oxide and option 3 -I.V. Sedation. The pamphlet said that 80% of patients choose option 3 - sedation. I too was planning to go that route from the beginning but, for a few seconds, I was considering whether or not I could, or rather, would be willing to go the less chemically intrusive and much cheaper routes (options 1 & 2). Also, the idea of trying "laughing gas" kinda interested me - "why not laugh my way through it?!". Ultimately, I chose option #3 I.V. Sedation. I Just "Can't" Do It! I know that I could do it if that was what I needed to do or had to do but really, my anxiety level is rising right now just slightly contemplating the idea again.

So, I came home to share the news with my husband. I explained the situation, the options, the results, and the bottom line ($) and I have to admit I was feeling a bit guilty about the cost of the "unnecessary" I.V. sedation. When I read in the Dr.'s office that (only) 80% of patients go with sedation, I instantly knew that my husband would, without a doubt, interpret that as a challenge and most definitely go without! I shared this with him as well and he agreed that he would not be sedated (he also said something about not being a "wimp") but that he understood why I wanted to and supported my decision. I agree with him that I am caving in to my inner wimp, but I will just have to accept that and go with the "flow" (I.V. humor).

General Conference

2010-10-03T15:29:00.000-07:00

This weekend was General Conference. I always look forward listening to and being inspired by the conference addresses. I also look forward to some of our traditions. On the Saturday morning session we invite our friends over. The adults get to watch and enjoy conference together and the children play together- at least that is the general plan. Then we have a wonderful meal - this year Sullivan made some most delicious French Crepes. After the meal we all went outside and enjoyed the fantastic Fall weather while the kids had fun on the playground.

Saturday afternoon and Sunday's sessions we watched conference together as a family. I planned some fun activities for the girls: coloring and conference square matching games. I also put up some tents and and put blankets and a pillows inside them. For the final session on Sunday we pampered each other as we watched conference. We all got our hair brushed/combed and Elizabeth and I even got our hair braided by daddy! Then we got out the lotion and began our hand and foot massages. Unfortunately Rachel got a bit out of control with the lotion and we had to cut that one short. Hopefully next year we can take full advantage of the massages.

In all honesty, watching conference with small children is really challenging! I was not able to listen to an entire talk uninterrupted throughout the entire conference (which is not much different from my experience with church on Sunday's). That being said, General Conference is uplifting and inspiring. Despite my lack of attentiveness, I came away with several inspired
ideas and was generally uplifted and strengthened. I really look forward to receiving the Ensign
so that I may read each of the talks in their entirety. I know there is so much more in there waiting for me to discover and receive!

A New Chocolate Treat

2010-08-28T14:43:00.000-07:00

I resisted trying these new M&M's but I broke down when they were on sale. For me you can't go wrong with the flavor combination salty-pretzel and sweet-chocolate!

Hmmm?? I wonder if they will make it with dark chocolate someday?

"I Love To See The Temple"

2010-08-08T19:06:00.000-07:00

When we got home from church today Elizabeth was singing the primary song, "I Love To See The Temple". I started singing it with her and she smiled and continued singing. When we stopped singing she said, "I want to be married in the temple. Can I be married in the temple?" I replied that yes she could get married in they temple. For fun I asked her who she wanted to marry and she replied, "I want to marry you!" I said "no, you can't marry me, I am your mother and you need to marry a boy." She thought for just a moment and said, "I want to marry daddy." She ran to where her daddy was and said, "Can I marry you daddy?" Although they were in another room I could hear most of their conversation.

Her daddy replied that she could not marry him and then he proceeded to give her some great council that I am sure will be repeated to our children many times. To summarize , he told Elizabeth that she needs to wait and find someone who treats her really good. He then used "mommy" and "daddy" as an example and asked her if daddy is nice to mommy and then if mommy is nice to daddy. I was happy to hear that she replied "Yes" to both questions. He further advised that she too needs to find someone who treats her really good.

This conversation had so much to offer not only Elizabeth but her daddy and also me. When he asked Elizabeth if daddy treats mommy well I was sure that the answer was a resounding "Yes!" but the question of whether mommy treats daddy well made me pause and ask myself if I am setting the true example I want to set for my daughters in how they will need to treat their future spouses. I concluded that I could do better. I am grateful for these wonderful opportunities we have within our family to teach, to learn, and to grow.

RECONNECTING

2010-06-30T13:53:00.000-07:00

For the past several months I have felt a strong desire - almost a need- to seek out people and friends from my past. A couple of months ago I reconnected with a friend from junior high school! I have thought about her many times over the years and I was truly excited to find her on Facebook. Almost instantly I felt our friendship being rekindled. She moved to Utah and I can't wait to see her again - hopefully next year while we vacation in Utah.

Just this week I reconnected with one of my closest friends from High School. She was a year ahead of me in school and moved away to college and for whatever other reasons we did not keep in touch. Over the past couple of years I looked for her over social networking sites with no success. This week I found out her last name and, once again, found her on Facebook. It brought joy to my heart seeing her smiling face! I remembered her as fun loving, smiling, happy and delightfully theatrical and sure enough she has not changed. Check out this video she did for her church:

Selfishness Vs. Charity

2010-05-24T11:06:00.000-07:00

My sister once told me that I was selfish. I wasn't mad at her but it stung a bit. I did not want it to be true but I knew it was. I have often thought on her words over the years since and I have put some effort into being less selfish. Most recently I have thought about how my own selfish thoughts and actions have contributed to my feelings of frustration and discontent in my roles as wife and mother.

I know that when I put my husband and my children first that I will be much happier and have a more fulfilling life. This really is the essence of charity. It is the highest, noblest, and strongest kind of love and the most joyous to the soul (see Moroni 7:45 and 1 Nephi 11:23). By putting others first it does not mean that I disregard my own needs and interests. I pursue and will continue to set personal goals and explore personal interests. However, "the world" encourages us to seek after happiness by putting ourselves first. I am often tempted to do this whether it be wanting to play on the computer instead of playing with and nurturing my two daughters or becoming frustrated or angry with my husband for simply putting dishes in the sink instead of in the dishwasher.

My roles as wife and mother are the most important roles I will ever have on this earth. I know this but my thoughts and actions do not always demonstrate this knowledge. This weekend, Elder Russel M. Nelson spoke in our Stake. He said that it is okay that we are amateurs at being parents and followed up with the fact that our children are also amateurs at being our children. I can also expand this to my roles as wife and (LDS) follower of Christ. I am an amateur in these roles as well. I am grateful to be a wife and a mother and a follower of Christ and for the process of learning and growing towards my full potential.

"All or Nothing"

2010-04-19T11:23:00.000-07:00

Although my husband would tell you that I am an "all or nothing" personality type I must say that he has either adopted my way or he is in denial! How so you my ask. . .

The Playground We decided we wanted a playground set for our two daughters for our backyard.
Before Picture

After doing some pricing we realized that starting from scratch to build our own would be more expensive than purchasing a prefab assembly required. My fab husband really enjoys building so it was a no-brainer that we would not hire professionals to build the play set. Now the decision was which play set to purchase. Well, after you get a look at this you'll understand why I refer to him as being "all or nothing!" It is ginormous!
After Pictures

The Process
It took a total of three weeks from start to finish.
Week One: inventory and then weatherize each piece of wood.

Week Two and Three: Assembly
He did almost all of it by himself except for a little bit of help from me at the end and some help from Elizabeth along the way.

Playtime!

We are looking forward to sharing this play set with lots of friends!!

Preparing For General Conference

2010-04-02T18:29:00.000-07:00

Ideas for General Conference with Small Children
I have been really looking forward to General Conference this weekend. I have several things planned for the girls and we also have some friends coming with additional children for a Saturday session. Because this is Easter weekend I have planned a conference/gospel centered eater egg hunt.

Conference Easter Egg Hunt
I found these online: https://beta.lds.org/bc/content/ldsorg/content/english/pdf/conference_squares.pdf

Conference Squares

Cut them out . . .

They fit perfectly in the plastic Easter eggs.

We plan to hide these eggs and then as they find them they bring them to us and tell what they think the picture is about and then get a piece of candy.

Conference Coloring
Elizabeth and I also gathered all our broken crayons. . .

peeled them and we will melt them down and create creative crayons for coloring during conference.

Also, we plan on using tents again this year for the girls to watch conference from and eat snacks and play with their toys.

Happy Conferencing!!
http://www.lds.org/broadcast/gc/0,5161,9080,00.html

The Happiest Day

2010-03-04T04:45:00.001-08:00

It Is A Happy Anniversary
Today is our 5th Wedding Anniversary. As I look back over the past five years my heart is filled with gratitude. I have a truly loving and supportive husband. He has shown his love for me every single day over the past five years. He pampers me and treats me like his queen. I am grateful for all he does for me, our marriage, and our family. The memories of our wedding day light up my heart with joy and happiness. Although no picture could capture the pure joy that I felt that day, here a a few pictures that bring back those feelings from our wedding day, March 4th, 2005.

TenThings I Would Like To Do

2010-02-03T04:54:00.000-08:00

Just Hand Over the Chocolate and No One Will Get Hurt
I was reading from this book early this morning (2:30 a.m) while caring for my sick baby and I felt inspired by the author's challenge to list ten things I've always wanted to do in life. Ten dreams, goals or aspirations (realistic or not) that I would like to do someday. The author suggested that having dreams or aspirations can lift our spirits, expand our boundaries, broaden our thinking, and exercise our imaginations. Just thinking about my list got me feeling more motivated and uplifted. So I decided to write them down.

My List (in no particular order):

* Plant a butterfly garden with a water feature.

* Take a photography class or lessons.

* Take a cooking class.

* Publish an article, essay, recipe, poem, or book.

* Learn to sew.

* Attend a taping or live television show that I regularly watch.

* Vacation at a tropical paradise.

* Go on a mission.

* Learn another language fluently (perhaps sign language).

* Learn how to play the piano.

* Conquer my fear of math.

As I was typing my list I started to get a little anxious about needing to accomplish these goals. I am very much a perfectionist and pretty much if I say I am going to do something I make the commitment. Well not this time. These are my no stress desires. Things to look forward to rather than more things that have to get done. They are not set in stone and I can change them whenever I want. I look forward to taking some small actions towards making some of these aspirations come true.

Birthday Thoughts

2010-01-25T09:49:00.000-08:00

My 40th Birthday
It is official I am 40 years old. For years I have fondly anticipated this particular birthday. When I was in my 20's and early 30's I figured that by the age of 40 I would pretty much know who I was and where I was going and have a level of maturity that would distinguish me from my more youthful years of trial and mostly error. Well, then I got married and had children in my mid to late 30's. It was not so much the marriage part that made my prior vision of what 40 would be become blurry but it was the having children part that caused a bit of a ruckus. What did having children do? It showed me that I have not become self-actualized in the areas of patience, selfishness, or stress and anger management. All the work that I had done over the years to become self-aware and the skills I had developed to control my emotions, reactions and responses were almost completely annihilated. I had no idea children could do this to a person! Well maybe not all or even most people have this same experience but this is what happened to me, right now, at the age of 40. Despite the shift in perspective of what my life would be like at this age I am content with who I am becoming and where I see my life choices leading me. I am grateful for my marriage and for my two daughters and for the blessings of having a family. So, I celebrated my birthday pretty much this whole month. I made it a big deal and I told everyone I cared to tell that it was my 40th birthday. I had a great time with friends and family celebrating my life thus far and looking forward to the years ahead.

Bird Watching

2010-01-15T05:45:00.000-08:00

I was wanting to bring a little more nature into my daily life and I thought bird watching would be a fun addition. So for Christmas I asked for and received a beautiful cedar bird feeder. I quickly added "hang bird feeder" to my awesome husband's honey-do-list and he hung it beautifully outside my kitchen window where I can enjoy it from both the kitchen and the living room! I have surprised myself with how much I have enjoyed watching the birds outside my window until today . . .

Guess what's back on the honey-do-list.

I Am Grateful For . . .

2009-12-10T05:21:00.001-08:00

I have been a bit stressed lately and feel I need to take some time to think about the things that I am grateful for. I am sure I will not think of everything that I am actually thankful for but here goes. . .

I Am Grateful For:

~My family and friends~
This includes my immediate family - my awesome husband and my two beautiful (inside and out) daughters; extended family, and fictive family (those who have given me their unconditional love an support as if I were family); and my friends past and present who have helped me along the way.

~The Gospel of Jesus Christ~
I am grateful to know that God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ are real, that they know who I am, and that they are actively engaged in my life. I am grateful for the blessings of the Temple and to know that my family can be together forever.

~Motherhood~
Motherhood is an eternal responsibility and privilege. The blessings, sacrifices, and challenges of motherhood have far exceeded any of my expectations. Now that I have children of my own I appreciate my own mother even more.

~Freedom~
I am grateful to live in this nation where I still have the freedom to worship God as I choose, for free speech, for democracy, and for laws that protect our rights.

~My home~
I am grateful for a nice home and for the many comforts therein.

~Food~
An abundance of food of all kinds.

~Chocolate~
It has a category all of it's own!

~Education~
I am grateful to have had the opportunity to attend some great schools and universities. I am grateful that it is paid in full! I am grateful that learning is a lifelong process.

~Gadgets and gizmos~
I am grateful for computers, telephones and cellphones, washers and dryers, stoves and microwaves, heat and central air, cars, planes, trains, indoor plumbing and showers, lights and electrical outlets, cameras and video, television and music players, CD's and DVD's, etc.,

~Misc.~
I am grateful that Elizabeth is now potty-trained!!
I am grateful that I can still play soccer (I did not say I was good, but I can still play).
I am grateful for vacations and holidays.
I am grateful to live where it does not snow!

Teaching Our Children To Pray

2009-11-10T07:24:00.000-08:00

I am really grateful to be able to teach my daughters to pray. It has already been a rewarding experience teaching my daughter Elizabeth who is almost three years old.

During the week, after her father leaves for work, Elizabeth and I sit down for breakfast and I ask Elizabeth to offer the prayer and blessing of the food. At first she would simply say "thank you for the food." As she became more confident in praying, I would often prompt her with additions to the prayer.

Not long ago I started asking Elizabeth to say a "nice " prayer, or a "special prayer" which became the code words to encourage her say more than the fast food version of "thank you for the food." Not that simple prayers are not valid, but I wanted to teach her not to become too repetitious in her prayers and I wanted to encourage her to think of things she wanted to pray about specific for that day.

Last Thursday, I used our code words and asked Elizabeth to give a "nice" prayer. She in turn gave the fast food version of the prayer. I decided not to prompt her to add to the prayer. So I added my amen and we began to eat.

A few minutes later Elizabeth said earnestly, "Wait, we have to thank for Daddy, Mommy, Rachel and Elizabeth!" I said "Elizabeth would you like to say another prayer?" And she said yes and offered a beautiful addition to the previous prayer.

As I thought about this experience throughout the day I realized that there are lessons to be gleamed from this experience. One lesson is that we can always pray - even after we have already prayed. Another lesson is that we can learn from the example of our children!

General Conference Weekend

2009-10-05T05:12:00.000-07:00

Spiritually Nourished, Physically Fed and Pampered

In preparation for General Conference we planned a meal and invited some friends to join us for Saturday's first session. I also found a resource from a great blog and we planned on some awesome pamperings!

Saturday
Our friends came over and we enjoyed some yummy snacks - homemade grilled pita with a homemade roasted pepper sauce, homemade ChexMix, popcorn, and grapes! The kids all played nicely and we enjoyed the first session of conference. After the session the kids played outside and we prepared the final touches to the Gyros with Baklava for dessert. Yummy!!

Alone as a family for Saturday's second session, we made a tent/fort/castle facing the television where Elizabeth could watch conference. I placed a picnic cloth on the floor and she enjoyed her yummy snacks. The inside walls of the fort were made of cardboard so she could color on them.

As for the pamperings, I received a pedicure thanks to my amazing husband! And we enjoyed watching conference together!

Sunday
I pulled out the pictures of the general authorities I found from the blog resource and identified each one for Elizabeth. I was excited to know that Elizabeth already knew who the prophet was and knew his name. I then encouraged Elizabeth to look for the apostle on the papers with each new speaker.

We then all settled on the couch and pampered each other with cocoa butter massages. First Elizabeth and I each took one of Daddy's hands and gave him a massage. Then it was Elizabeth's turn. She wanted a hand massage and then asked for a foot massage (she takes after her mother with this). Then mommy got a foot massage. We all got pampered and we were able to relax and enjoy conference together as a family. It was great!

By preparing for General Conference ahead of time and by finding ways to serve one another, we hope to teach our children to look forward to the next General Conference. I am really looking forward to reading the conference talks in the Ensign and later listening to the conference CD's!

VACATION

2009-09-24T13:42:00.000-07:00

Atlanta, Georgia
As a family we are determined to take a vacation at least once a year. This year we decided to explore some of the attractions in and around Atlanta.

Our First Stop
We visited Uncle Steve and "Grandma" Cape!

"Happy" Elizabeth with Uncle Steve all to herself.

"Happy" Rachel - still willing to share!

A special thanks "Grandma" Cape!

What a nice visit!

Stone Mountain
It Rained!! Hoping it would pass we spent an hour in the museum. Fun, but not really what we planned on.

In between rain drops we decided to hike up about half the mountain. It started raining harder and we abandoned the hike. Enough fun to want to return and try again some other day!

We then drove around the park and looked at most of the sites from the car. We did stop (between rain drops) at, according to the brochure, a "Top Notch" playground - and it was!

Daddy and Elizabeth ventured it on their own. And sadly, they really were on their own - no friends on the playground today.

Did I mention the Rain!

The Atlanta Zoo
Off season and everything was wet from all the rain, but we had a great time at the zoo. We even stayed mostly dry with just some misting of rain throughout the day.

Petting Zoo Fun.

Getting a closer look!

There were a lot of Gorillas to see and even one to touch.

The Atlanta Aquarium
Lots to see and lots of people!

Grandma & Grandpa
Joining us in Atlanta and making the trip extra special!

Thanks for everything Grandma and Grandpa!!

2009-08-21T10:20:00.000-07:00

Arts & Crafts
I love to find ways to use my creative side and it is a bonus to expose my children to arts and crafts. Three to four times a week Elizabeth and I had "Arts and Crafts Time." We both looked forward to these mostly fun times together (I must admit that my slight perfectionism occasionally got in the way). We usually had music and dancing one day a week. We play music every day, but this was an intense hour of music and dancing. We also had a day where we worked with play dough. Occasionally we would bake a yummy treat. Here are some other things we did this summer: *Check out the "HOT TIP" at the end of this post!

FUN WITH BUTTONS!!

Supplies: Glue (optional), buttons, paper. We did not actually glue ours so we were able to continue playing with the buttons over and over.

Elizabeth creating a masterpiece.

She never quite finishes hers but my final composition is on the right.

SAND ART

Supplies: Sand, glue, paper.
What To Do: Trace hands, cut them out, trace again on another piece of paper. (We had to do it as a two step process because Elizabeth does not sit very still yet and I wanted the pencil markings to be straight - again my perfectionism). Outline the tracing with clue and then spread glue all over the inside of the tracing. Sprinkle sand on paper.

Elizabeth's hands in sand!

PASTA ART

Supplies: Pasta, glue, paper.

GLITTER

Supplies: Glitter, glue, paper

PAINTING (finger, water colors, paint)

HOT TIP:
We do a lot of painting and these make great wrapping paper, cards, & gift tags. The grandparents especially love it!!

2009-06-15T11:29:00.000-07:00

A Great Day
Saturday we invited some friends to go blueberry picking and then back to our house for a yummy homemade treat!

We all got started picking . . .but it was a hot day!

The kids had fun for the short time they could take the heat.

Yummy Home-Made Treat
My amazing husband has been wanting to make an ice-cream cake (he has never tried this before) so he decided this weekend was it! He did not follow a recipe but designed it himself. He began the process several days ahead by making the starter for the ice-cream (well, I think this did call for a recipe). He then got out the ice-cream maker and made his own strawberry ice-cream. He then made the cakes (box cakes are hard to beat so he went with Betty Crocker). Then he made white chocolate and a milk chocolate (well semi-sweet) discs to fit between the layers of cake and ice-cream. He used home-made strawberry jam (from our batch of strawberry pickings we froze) to hold the chocolate discs to the cake layers. Just before serving he whipped some cream and placed some of our freshly picked blueberries on top. I don't know if your mouth is watering yet but this was one yummy cake!

And impressive with five layers!

Even the kids were impressed!

We ended the morning's adventures relaxing in and by the sandbox.

It was a bit cooler in the shade.

The baby took a nap.

Spending time with family and friends sure makes for a great day!

Choking Incident

2009-06-11T04:10:00.000-07:00

Choking Incident
Well I debated blogging about this but I decided to for a couple of reasons. First, if my experience could possibly prevent someone else from having this experience than it is good information to share. Also, it is one of those experiences that weighs on my mind so venting my thoughts and feelings about it may be good too.

The incident:
I will start with then end result - Elizabeth is fine and mommy is grateful!

Okay so now back to the beginning - Elizabeth was eating an orange. I was giving her an orange slice at a time and she kept coming back for more and then running off to play. About 5 minutes or so after I had given her the last orange slice I noticed she needed a diaper change. I laid her down and started changing her when she began choking. I immediately began trying to dislodge whatever was in her throat by performing Heimlich maneuvers. After several attempts she began crying. I was relieved and looked to recover what appeared to be part of the orange when she inhaled and began choking again. I again attempted to dislodge it and finally was able to pull the stringy mess from the back of her throat. What she had choked on was the casings from around the orange slices. Instead of swallowing them after each slice she kept storing them in her mouth and then was unable to break them down by chewing or swallow them.

I think what I learned from this was to watch for this in the future when she is eating oranges but also to be aware of what may be in her mouth before I lay her down in a prone position on her back.

While I remained calm and did what needed to be done during the event, I wanted to really let out a good cry after it was over. I withheld it (mostly) in front of Elizabeth and then only partially released the awful build-up when my husband returned home from a quick trip to the store (which is where he was when the incident took place). May this experience be our last and may you readers never have to share in a similar one yourselves.

2009-04-25T08:38:00.000-07:00

Introducing Rachel
Rachel was welcomed into our little family on
April 21st. ~8lbs 5oz & 20 1/2" long

Baby caught yawning - Mom and baby are healthy happy and well.

Proud Daddy!

Big sister was very excited to finally meet Rachel and hold her.

In fact she did not want to let her go.

The adventure Begins!

Let's go home little one!

We are so grateful for all the love and support we have received from our friends and family during this exciting time! We would like to especially thank all those that helped out with Elizabeth while we were in the hospital. We knew she was in great hands and that was a wonderful blessing to add to the amazing blessings we were already receiving.

2009-04-13T05:12:00.000-07:00

Not Yet . . .
My "due date" has now come and gone and I am still carrying the little one. I am sure hoping she does not grow to be a 10 pounder before she decides to emerge into the world!

Of course, I am uncomfortable much of the time and I have some pretty abrupt mood swings, but overall I am feeling pretty well. I am looking forward to holding her in my arms, nursing her for the first time, and bringing her home to join our little family.

Easter Weekend Fun!
Last week I had some of my energy restored and we had a great time this Easter weekend. On Saturday we invited some great friends over to have an Easter egg hunt for the kids. I had fun planning it and I enjoyed watching the kids find their eggs and having fun playing together. It was really great sharing in the experience and spending time with some of my friends too!

The kids had a great time playing in the sandbox built by my amazing *husband.

*Thank you for checking this off "the honey do list!"

After the egg hunt and fun at the house we then went strawberry picking. Two weeks ago we picked 15 pounds of strawberries. This time we picked 11 pounds. We now have a lot of freezer jam - enough to last the whole year. Yummy!!

Incidentally, you would think all this would have induced labor!?!

(For more Easter Weekend pics please visit Elizabeth's blog "My Joy!" at: http://myjoyfulspirit.blogspot.com/)

2009-03-10T11:02:00.000-07:00

Friendships & Baby Showers
I am so grateful for all of the amazing women that are my friends. They all have so many great qualities that I can appreciate and enjoy individually and collectively. Recently, many of my friends have been able to spend more time together as a group. Within my circle of friends there are quite a few women who are pregnant. It is nice to be able to share in the experiences of pregnancy and to celebrate the creation of a life with them. To help and support one another as we prepare for the new arrivals we have been enjoying the occasion of Baby Showers.

When a few of my friends approached me with the proposal of having a baby shower for me I was quite surprised. I truly had not expected it especially since we were having our second child and another girl. When we had our first child so many amazing people came forward and literally showered us with all that we needed and more. I felt so much love from so many people. While my circle of friends had gone through a lot of changes since my first child, due to geographical moves, I still felt a little embarrassed about inviting more people to buy us gifts. My friends assured me that they truly wanted to have a shower for me and for the new baby and that it was a special time that should not be ignored.

Again, I am so grateful for my friends! I am able to enjoy their love and support as I prepare for another amazing change in my life. What great blessings! Thanks to all of my friends and to my Heavenly Father who knows me, who knows what I want and what I need, and who wants me to be happy.

My Baby Shower
My shower was so much fun! There were yummy treats and some very thoughtful gifts. Everyone had a chance to express their creativity as we decorated onesies for the baby with potato stamping.

We were all getting really creative here!

The results were amazing!

I was able to convince everyone to claim theirs as they posed for a picture (but I failed to convince anyone to switch their artistic onesie with mine).

2009-02-14T08:33:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day!!

This Valentine's Day was made special thanks to my kind and loving husband and our adorable little daughter.

My husband gave me a manicure, a pedicure, and a hair brushing! It may or may not sound incredible and impressive to you, but he really does know how to do all this and he does it really well. I would take his manicures and pedicures over the mall nail salons anytime! Where and why did he learn all this you may ask? Well, let me explain.

It goes back to our honeymoon (4 years ago). My soon-to-be husband planned an amazing ending to our week of honeymooning. For several months prior he planned and prepared all that was needed for spa treatments ranging from manicures and pedicures to facials and sea-salt body scrubs. He researched each spa treatment on the internet and learned how to do each one! He even bought all the essential products. On the last day of our honeymoon he presented me with a spa day packet and I got to choose whatever treatments I wanted and the following day he offered me a full day of pampering. He did a great job then and since he has continued to offer me spa days three times a year over the past four years and with all this practice he has gotten even better!

In addition to all the pampering today he also brought me a beautiful planted pot of red tulips. He knows I love flowers to brighten our home.

Cookie Making With My Daughter

I have a confession to make; until this week I had never made sugar cookies. I had never even used a cookie cutter. Now this is probably not fully accurate, because I am sure that my mother and maybe even my father sat me down as a young girl and made sugar cookies with me and I probably used cookie cutters too. However, as an adult I had never attempted this on my own.
For those of you who know that I really do enjoy baking this may be a surprise to you. I have made thousands of cookies in my life, but for some reason I have always felt a little intimidated by the "sugar cookie."

I read many recipes for sugar cookies and all (or most) of them required a long period of chilling in the refrigerator for the dough (at least 2 hours) before they can be baked. Although I really do enjoy the process of baking, I also really enjoy the sampling of the goodies. So, I would always choose a cookie recipe where I could be assured of a yummy sample, after assembly of the ingredients, in about 10-12 minutes. Although the concept of delayed gratification was intimidating in itself when it came to sugar cookie making, I was also a bit intimidated by the process of rolling out the dough and cutting them into shapes while trying to keep the dough chilled enough to maintain optimal processing. Furthermore, the cookies needed to cool before they could be iced and then there is the complications of choosing the consistency and color of the icing and whether or not to use sprinkles, what kind and what color. Perhaps I should mention I have slight issues with perfectionism.

Well, images of sharing the experience with my daughter of making sugar cookies in cute heart shapes with icing and sprinkles overruled all of my hesitations. It took us three days, but we did it! I must admit that my two year-old does not exactly have a mastery over delayed gratification either but it was well worth all the work, time and even the wait. Elizabeth and I also got a chance to share in the rewarding experience of offering up some of the special treats with our neighbor friends for Valentine's Day.

I am so grateful for my family!

2009-02-04T07:49:00.000-08:00

CARD MAKING FUN
For the past couple of years I have enjoyed making my own greeting cards. It allows me to explore my creativity and is a lot of fun! For Christmas my fantastic husband went out on a limb (I have never mentioned or asked for one) and bought me a Sizzix Big Shot Die-Cut & Emboss Machine. I was a little intimidated at first but I have used it a few times now and today I made a card for a friend using the flower and letter cutouts.

A Big Shot-Out to my Husband for a great gift
(pun intended of course)!

2009-01-28T10:20:00.000-08:00

NESTING
I tend to be a bit of a complainer and a pessimist at times where my husband is more of an optimist with one of his motto's being "Everything will work out."
At this stage of my pregnancy I am particularly uncomfortable in the evenings and at night. With lots of grunts, groans and sighs I was not surprised one evening recently when my husband asked me what I liked about being pregnant. I thought about my answer for just a minute or so and I said that I enjoyed feeling the baby move around, except when she is poking or kicking my vital organs and ribcage (again I had to add a little pessimism -yuck). However, I forgot to mention another added bonus to pregnancy.

The following is a pretty good description of what I am currently experiencing:

(Excerpt is from parentingweekly.com subtitle PregnancyWeekly)

"Nesting Instinct"

"Around the fifth month of pregnancy, the "nesting" instinct can set in. This is an uncontrollable urge to clean one's house brought on by a desire to prepare a nest for the new baby, to tie up loose ends of old projects and to organize your world. Females of the animal kingdom are all equipped with this same need. It is a primal instinct. Just as you see birds making their nests, mothers-to-be do exactly the same thing. The act of nesting puts you in control and gives a sense of accomplishment toward birth."

Although I am almost into my 7th month of pregnancy, this "nesting instinct" is really great! I have actually always enjoyed cleaning (except for doing dishes and the bathroom is not my favorite either) but I am not so much into actual organizing. So for the past few weeks I have not only felt the desire to clean and I have mostly had the energy to do so, but I have begun to organize areas in my home that are in dire need of order.

I experienced this feeling when I was pregnant with Elizabeth, but not as much as I am with this baby. In fact, just about everything is "more" with this pregnancy: more nausea, heartburn, constipation, fatigue, soreness, and rashes to name a few.

I am also getting pretty excited about meeting this new baby, welcoming her into the world and into our little family. I am looking forward to the feelings of love for the baby that I know come from Heavenly Father. With Elizabeth I felt them most strongly at our 4 am feedings. I really don't care what time they come with this new baby. I will cherish them regardless of the hour!

2008-12-12T13:02:00.000-08:00

Birthdays and Holiday Preparations Galore!
I have been very busy preparing for Christmas while at the same time hosting parties for my daughter and my husband who both have December birthdays. It has been a lot of fun, but I am just about ready for Christmas to come so I can take a break from all the planning and preparing and just enjoy the good fruits.

Our Tree:
A real tree is the way to go for us! The smell is amazing.

Christmas Decor:
This ceramic tree was handed down from my mother. My mother loved Christmas and always went all out on decorations. I inherited quite a few of her decorations and this is one of my favorites.

Nativity:
These nativity scenes were both my mother's.

I especially cherish the ceramic Avon collectibles. The set is actually bigger, but I did not want to pack all the pieces into a small space and take away from it's beauty.

More Holiday Clings:
I love these things!

Graham Cracker Creations:
Each year we try to come up with something bigger and better. This year, with my husband's building expertise and my creativity we made an edible Christmas tree.

Hand-Made Wrapping Paper:
With Elizabeth's little hands and some finger paints we made these wrapping creations

Elizabeth's Birthday Party:
I really enjoy hosting parties, so this was a lot of fun for me. Although, I sort of wish we could have her party in say February or March when there isn't so much else going on!

Birthday Party Prep:
This takes longer to put together than it looks.

Enjoying the yummy (yet boxed) cupcakes mommy made. Unfortunately, it is hard to recreate the yummy texture and taste you get from a boxed cake mix.

*We have also taken our own family pics, I have wrapped almost all the Christmas presents and I have sent out my Christmas cards! Still more to do of course, but oh how sweet the fruits of my labors when it is all over.

All that being said, I am grateful for the true reason for the season and that is to celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ and all the amazing sacrifices He made for us and the wonderful blessings we can obtain if we follow Him.
He gave us a true example of giving with love.

May we all feel the Spirit of this holiday season, share our love with those near and far, and remember the Savior who gave all.

2008-12-04T05:47:00.000-08:00

Candy Maker?
Not me!
I received this candy making kit as a gift and thought I would give it a try.

The box showed some cute holiday candies and lollipops and the directions seemed so easy! Just melt the chocolate candies in the decorating bags (included in the kit) and then use the handy paint brush to decorate the molds (also included in the kit).

So when it was time for Elizabeth's nap I thought I would whip up the candies, pop them in the refrigerator and then take a little nap before she woke up.

Nice thought eh?!

Not even close to reality. This was the most difficult project I think I have ever tried! The plastic molds were a very clear, cheap plastic, and it was near impossible to see the designs on which I was suppose to paint the different colored melted candy. Which brings me to the paint brush - not helpful! Furthermore, the candies did not all melt the same. For some reason, the white "chocolate" was way too thick and would not melt down to a workable consistency. In addition, the candy hardened fast and I could not keep up. Furthermore, I just barely had enough candy to fill the molds.

After over an hour of happy candy making I had a product to put in the refrigerator. However, although I had some idea that they were not going to look like the picture on the box, I had no idea how bad the final product would be. The final product: Not too bad from a distance and in the cute colored bags (included in the kit).

Yes this is suppose to be a Reindeer.

Saving the best for last:

Santa!

Would I do this again if given a chance?
Of course I would!
Happy Holidays!!

2008-11-17T13:22:00.000-08:00

ULTRASOUND
It's A Girl
Today was the big day. I was truly excited to find out the sex of our upcoming "bundle of joy" and to see the miracle that is happening inside of me! I have been feeling the movements of the baby everyday now for a week or so and I am ready to identify even more with this little one by assigning (her) a name. We had previously picked out a boy's and a girl's name for our first child and had planned to use the boy's name for this child, if appropriate, but we had not identified another girl's name. So now the name search has begun. We are open for suggestions.

2008-11-13T06:42:00.000-08:00

DECORATING
For The Seasons
I have always enjoyed decorating but it is much more fun now that I have a child of my own. Yesterday we started on our Thanksgiving decorations. I saw several craft ideas online for turkey's and I decided to make some of my own (with inspiration from the others I found online). I really like the way they came out and Elizabeth loves to get her hands traced so she had a great time too!

We also had fun decorating for Halloween this year. Elizabeth and I did some arts and crafts, I brought out some of my old decorations, and we had a great time with our new window cling stickers.

We decided not to carve the pumpkin this year, but we will be making yummy pumpkin muffins and cookies real soon!

There are yummy candy corn in the little pumpkin. I am not really into candy (of course chocolate is not in this category at all!) but I do like my candy corn once a year.

Old Decorations - a Funkin pumpkin and, my favorite, my mothers' ceramic pumpkin - it lights up too!

These window clings are great. They came in a big pack that includes Halloween, Valentines Day, and Christmas themed clings. I am looking forward to December for the next batch! The really good news is they were only $5 at www.lakeside.com

Inside and Outside arts and crafts and more
window clings. "Who's that in the window?"

We also had a great time coloring with chalk on the front side walk.

2008-10-28T11:47:00.000-07:00

Let's Catch Up
I made it through the First Trimester!
I am in my 16th week now and I am feeling so much better. I am within the "normal" range again physically, emotionally, and mentally. Although I had similar symptoms with my first pregnancy, everything has been a bit intensified for this one. I will not get into the symptomatic details, but for the past three months I have really just wanted to go to bed, stay in bed, and wake up when it was all over.

I am so grateful for my fabulous husband who has pampered and cared for me through it all. While at the same time he has put up with my wining, complaining, and overly emotional states. Although much of these "symptoms" are also within my "normal" range, they too were intensified over the past three months. Also, I am grateful for my daughter. Although I cannot say she was sympathetic to my needs - she is not even 2 years old- she gave me great reason to get out of bed each day and to at least try.

Some recent thoughts . . .
I have a great friend who often inspires me. She is very goal driven and consistently tries to be self-aware and self-actualizing. Years ago when I was going through formal education in Social Work, I too was very goal driven and strove to be self-aware. However, as time has passed and my professional career path has been delayed, for the most important and the most challenging role I will (for)ever hold - motherhood, I have become less focused on personal goal setting. As for self-awareness, learning to be a good parent, wife, and becoming a new person in the process has made me very aware of some new and old weaknesses.

Just recently, I have taken a half step back and looked at how I am doing. If I am happy. If I like who I am and who I am becoming. Which has led me to this point; it is time to set some personal goals. One of my first goals is to "start simply". I realized that I have become more of a pessimist and I am not as happy as I would like. Recognizing that this is a choice, my first new specified goal is to laugh more - read funny books, find the humor in things whenever and wherever I can, and seek out others who have a sense of humor and can laugh with me. I also want to help my daughter to find the humor in things and to laugh more with her.

So, for any of you readers who would like to support me in this goal - I would like to invite you to share with me a funny thought, story, joke (clean jokes preferred) or even just a smile :- )

2008-09-26T07:04:00.000-07:00

VACATION
Yellowstone National Park
This was my first visit to Yellowstone. We had a fantastic
time and I look forward to visiting again sometime.

We saw many amazing geysers, springs & mudpots.

"There it goes!" Elizabeth picked up on this saying
and it stuck for the whole trip. She is still saying it!

The waterfalls were amazing too!

Bison, bison everywhere!

A little too close for my comfort!

2008-08-12T06:24:00.000-07:00

This Post was originally written on
August 12th, 2008. The news is now
out (for the most part)

On Sunday, August 10, 2008 I took a home pregnancy test and you guessed it, I am pregnant. This is a planned pregnancy and it is not my first, so I was not completely surprised. However, I am amazed at the variance in feelings that swept over me as I stared at the little blue line forming on the test strip. It was actually a bit similar to the feelings I had the first time I was pregnant with my daughter, except this time instead of being anxious about what I did not know, I was just as anxious about what I did know!

During family planning discussions, my husband and I both had agreed to having two children (if so granted) and then we would discuss the possibility of more at a later date. Then we had our first child. A sweet little girl who has brought us much joy, but also has contributed to multiple frustrations and disagreements, inexplicable pain, sleepless nights, self-doubt, guilt, and a myriad of other feelings and emotions that were unexpected and frankly unwelcome. To avoid the not so gentle poking of guilt, I will again reiterate that our little daughter is greatly enriching our lives (what doesn't kill you makes you strong - just kidding - sort-of). She is growing fast and I am truly enjoying watching her learn and develop her physical and cognitive skills step by step as I am afforded the opportunity to stay home full-time to care for, teach, and nurture my daughter.

I thought of all this in the few seconds it took for the little blue line to completely form on the test strip. As if outside of myself, I looked in the mirror, took a deep breath, and said out-loud "Okay, here we go." Not as if giving my okay at this point would change anything, but I mentally, emotionally, and physically committed myself to accepting and embracing all that was to come, both the good, the bad and the ugly (not the baby of course - all babies are beautiful right!?).

So now the excitement and secrecy begins. Pregnancy protocol says that you should wait at least 12 weeks to share the big news because of the risk of complications which are noted to be common. Not everyone follows this protocol, and frankly I am torn whether to tell or not to tell. It can be overwhelming to know something as incredible as "I am pregnant!" and not tell anyone, except my spouse of course. At church I pretended in my mind to drop the exciting news during almost every interaction I had. Each Sunday I make calls to family and you can't imagine how many times I spilled the beans in my head during those conversations. So, to get it out of my system both me and my husband (hmmm, maybe he is experiencing the same pressing desire to spread the news) tell each other frequently throughout the day that we are pregnant (i.e. "Honey, guess what, I am pregnant!" or "Did you know that I'm pregnant?" or my husband will tell our daughter that "Mommy is pregnant!" etc.,). It is a fun game to play and does seem to relieve the pressure to tell just a tiny bit.

To Begin The Day and My Blog

2008-08-08T05:19:00.000-07:00

This morning was a good example of a day to have started out with a piece of chocolate, not just any chocolate, but a 60% extra dark Lindt, Lindor chocolate truffle. If I would have known this mornings events, I would have popped that truffle in my mouth as I rolled over to shut off the alarm! Now that, what I hope are the worst of, today's events are over it is too late to even imagine eating at all today not to mention savoring a piece of chocolate.

Okay, yes I am exaggerating a bit, but I want to emphasize the importance of utilizing the power of chocolate at the most opportune moments in life. If taken at key times we can unlock a power within us to take on and seize almost any moment of any day. With this said I now present my blog. Aptly titled "Another Day, Another Piece of Chocolate." No, I will not be simply exploring the decadence of chocolate, but I will reveal some of my life's moments that were enhanced by, motivated with, or resulted in the savoring of a piece of chocolate; or in the case of this morning's events a missed opportunity for utilizing the power of chocolate to make things just a little easier to endure.

"This Mornings Events: A Missed Opportunity for Utilizing the Power of Chocolate" :

Disgusting, Gross and Stinky! Are the three words to best describe what happened. It began shortly after my Handsome Husband left for work and forgot to take out the garbage - it's trash day. Not a normal occurrence by any means, so I thought, "No big deal, I'll mention it later and he will renew his commitment to always remembering this duty." While garbage alone can be pretty disgusting this particular garbage outing was below normal standards of dealing with garbage. The sustained 90 degree temp's of the summer had heightened not only my senses, but the senses of over a million fire ants and one small spider. Surveying the situation I armed myself with bug spray and a pair of garden gloves. Mission accomplished, but gross.

Inside the house again, I decided to begin a little house work. Entering the kitchen, I noticed some disgusting bug (roach) droppings on the counter. Gross! I love living in the warm climate, but the bugs here are relentless. It is embarrassing, but I don't know anyone who does not encounter any bugs in their home in this climate. So, I proceeded to clean the counter, moving the appliances and such when I realized that under the knife racks there are often a significant amount of these droppings. Again, Gross!! I then tapped the knife rack on the counter and sure enough a baby roach came falling out along with, you guessed it, more bug droppings. Did I say Gross enough yet?! Okay, so I thoroughly cleaned the knife racks and proceeded on with my morning.

Time to change my daughter's diaper, also pretty foul, but I am mostly use to it since she is over a year and a half (19 months). However, as I was using the handy dandy Diaper Champ, I realized the pail was full and also needed to go out for trash day. I had forgotten how entirely disgusting this was! I would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank my Handsome Husband for his willingness to serve his family each week on trash day!